East Gaston residents take up Million Mile Challenge

Joggers, from left, Valerie Davis, Whitney Kirby and Ashley Janezic jog along Main Street, near Myrtle Street, early Saturday morning, June 15, 2013.

By Mike Hensdill

By Michael Caswell

Published: Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at 09:28 PM.

You could walk — or run or bike — from Belmont to Los Angeles and back.

You still wouldn’t have as many miles on your sneakers as an active bunch of east Gaston residents have collectively logged this spring.

And they’re just getting started.

In May, residents of Belmont, Cramerton, Lowell, McAdenville and Mount Holly came together to put their communities to the test. City leaders asked residents to start recording all the miles they walk, run or bike. The goal: Reach a million total miles by next May.

The 5,000-plus miles people have since recorded make up less than 1 percent of the total goal.

But Belmont Assistant City Manager Adrian Miller believes the program has made great strides since its creation.

“We have got a lot of positive feedback from the community. A lot of cyclists have participated in it,” Miller said.

You could walk — or run or bike — from Belmont to Los Angeles and back.

You still wouldn’t have as many miles on your sneakers as an active bunch of east Gaston residents have collectively logged this spring.

And they’re just getting started.

In May, residents of Belmont, Cramerton, Lowell, McAdenville and Mount Holly came together to put their communities to the test. City leaders asked residents to start recording all the miles they walk, run or bike. The goal: Reach a million total miles by next May.

The 5,000-plus miles people have since recorded make up less than 1 percent of the total goal.

But Belmont Assistant City Manager Adrian Miller believes the program has made great strides since its creation.

“We have got a lot of positive feedback from the community. A lot of cyclists have participated in it,” Miller said.

Miller said the Million Mile Challenge went into place to encourage people to be more active and to come together.

“Once you start logging in your hours, it can become really fun. You will be surprised how far you go, even if it is just taking a walk around the neighborhood,” said Miller.

Miller believes by the end of summer and fall, movers will have made it nearly to a million miles.

It’s especially important in a county known for poor health, leaders say.

A recent statewide study of overall health ranked Gaston the 81st healthiest. That means only 19 North Carolina counties were less healthy.

Steve Pepitone, who owns South Main Cycles, sees this challenge as an opportunity to bring all communities together for fun and fitness.

“This program is great because it gives people a place to keep track of their progress and everybody loves a little healthy competition,” Pepitone said.

Movers with the most miles get a special spot on the website. This week’s top challengers include a cyclist with 458 miles in the seat and a runner who’s pounded nearly 230 miles of pavement.

Pepitone says even though a lot of people have logged hours, a lot more can be done to spread the word about the challenge.

“We are going to start promoting the program at local events. We might even start setting up events where people can run, bike and walk together. This way people can get more miles and come together as a community,” said Pepitone.

The word won’t get out by accident, he says.

“It’s the job of the cities, me and the community to spread the word about this awesome program,” Pepitone said.